For Better Or Worse
by pyrecraft
Summary: Despite everything, Julia falls hard for Barnabas. Was originally 'The Ninth Night'.
1. Nine

My second fanfiction piece. Barnalia smut FTW!

Rated M for a reason.

Warning(s): Sexual content, Barnalia.

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It was their… ninth time together. Or so Dr. Julia Hoffman thought. She remembered nine times, but it could have easily been more or less due to her fondness of drink.

_How had it come to this?_

An alcoholic psychiatrist was really a funny thing – she helped others when she struggled to help herself. She hadn't started out this way, no, she was a wonderful doctor. That was why Elizabeth hired her. She worked beautifully with David, despite his affliction of the mind… but after several years, Julia just kind of gave up. Her need for comfort was unrequited, so she sought liquor to ease her burdens of life. It was her addiction. She came to the realization that she truly had no one to fit in with. She was aging rather quickly with no man to speak of, and so her bourbon and whiskey helped her forget that.

But then Barnabas stepped in.

That first morning she'd come down from her bedroom in a fit of a hangover, her eyes had befallen the most beautiful creature to walk the planet. Of course he was a Collins, but he was so much more… fascinating. She simply had to give him a thorough examination – she couldn't control herself. And during that first tryst-

"_Are you aware of the concept of doctor-patient confidentiality?" _

-she'd discovered there was far more to the man, to the monster, than she could possibly imagine. He was a Collins she could grow to like, to _be_ like. She envied his long life, his hypnotizing good looks… god, she wanted him and his gift so badly. Julia was willing to sell her soul to the devil just to get a taste.

Barnabas suddenly bit down on her bottom lip, causing her to whimper loudly into his mouth as he kissed her for all her worth (which was surprisingly strong). It brought her back to the present – to his hands on her heaving breasts, to his inebriating possession over her, and to their shared lack of dress.

He pulled back for a moment. "I apologize madam, if I have hurt thee."

"No, no," Julia shook her head, a little dazed. "It's fine – I liked it."

Barnabas gave her an amused smile, eyes relaxed and mouth quirked ever so adorably. "You are a strange one, Julia Hoffman."

Her cheeks flushed with heat, blushing furiously at the semi-compliment.

"As are you, Barnabas Collins."

Julia shifted where she rested, body comfortably straddling the vampire beneath her – his flawless chest exposed to her and drawing her eyes to hone in on the sinewy flesh. Unconsciously, one hand came up and traced the outlines of amazing muscle.

"You are so…" The redhead murmured.

"Please, my dear, refrain from being cruel." Barnabas was quick to speak, cutting her off, assuming that she would make a crude observation while on top of him.

"Beautiful." She said breathily, smiling down to him.

It took a moment, but he returned the smile and leant up to press his frigid lips to hers in a slow, succulent kiss. Her hands embraced his cheeks, kissing him back with a tenderness she never knew she had within her.

It was… warm.

Well, of course it was fucking warm – she was horny and in need of a good fuck, but something about kissing the man in her arms soothed her. It calmed her in no way alcohol could. He was the perfect intoxication, making Julia feel as if she were enveloped in a tepid bath, her heart beating so fiercely she could have sworn she was an awkward, wayward teenager once more. She knew Barnabas could sense this as he continued to ravish her mouth in such a delicate and delectable manner.

Soon, they were both rid of pesky clothing and still sharing their amorous kisses. Barnabas flipped them over, pinning her underneath him as his lips roamed away from her mouth, allowing her to breathe – she'd almost suffocated under Barnabas' intoxicating kiss. Pecks were placed down her jaw, trailing downwards… then at her neck, his touch so cold yet so blessedly alive. He continued on his journey to her alabaster breasts, the rosy tips already pebbled over from their simple touches. Julia cried out softly when she felt him take one into his mouth, sucking gently while his long fingers toyed with the other neglected teat.

Oh, this was wonderful. Better than wonderful – fantastical, unbelievable, just… perfect. This is what she had been craving all those lone years. Not the sex of course, (she could take care of herself in that department; she was a big girl) but the intimacy. It fueled something deep within her she once thought lost, and acted like opium – lacing a warm, satisfying feeling through her veins to spread all over her body in magnificent-

Barnabas pulled away, Julia whimpering at the loss of sensation on her nipples, but moaned quietly as she watched him travel even further down her body. Barnabas grinned as their eyes met, placing affectionate kisses to her abdomen and moving even further to settle between her lithe, oddly youthful legs. She watched as he admired the toned muscles as if they were a world wonder, running his spidery fingers along the goose-pimpled skin. That was short-lived, for he soon gave a quick swipe of his tongue to her inner thigh, earning a choked gasp in return. He continued to do this, having the poor doctor mewling with pent-up desire with each leisurely lick, slowly making his way to the apex of her thighs.

"Barnabas…" Julia gasped, bucking her hips ever so slightly. "Barnabas, please…"

Without a single warning, the vampire swiped his tongue up the length of her wet cunt – that scrumptious pink slit now the focus of their desires. Julia gasped and bucked, hands immediately flying down to tangle in his dark hair and drag him closer. Barnabas focused on the single bundle of nerves located at the top of her sex. His lips wrapped around it, sucking languidly as Julia writhed on the patient table. Her moans and choked cries filled her office as he worked his magic on her. The speed of his movements increased, soon adding two fingers into the fray – thrusting them into Julia's tight center to hit that spot deep within her.

Stars danced behind Julia's eyes as her climax began to build and build – burning, so hot – molten pressure pooling in her abdomen, threatening to drive her insane as it grew unbearable… and then she arched her back, shaking involuntarily, and came the hardest she had in a very long while. Waves and waves of pleasure broke against her, twisting her in their current and dragging her under to drown. She gasped as if she were actually drowning, like a fish dying in the mid-day sun. Such powerful emotions accompanied her orgasm, the intensity of the unknown feeling enough to cause tears to form in her eyes. She screwed them shut, refusing to let them fall and ruin this perfect moment.

Oh, she knew the feelings that were bubbling up all too well. They were misplaced thoughts of compassion, an old sore that festered deep within her psyche. She couldn't allow Barnabas to see it, for she knew he truly wanted Vicky. She – Julia Hoffman – was just here for his needs of the flesh. She knew that. She had accepted it. To think otherwise would put herself in a state of delirium, and to do that would-

"Miss Hoffman?" Barnabas questioned worryingly, cutting off her thoughts.

Her eyes snapped open and the tears fell freely. More began to cloud her vision as that familiar sore started bleeding, the blood a heavy burden as she gazed upon such a perfect man. It could have been the lingering ecstasy from her release, but she suddenly couldn't control the overwhelming love she held for Barnabas. Julia Hoffman was in love with Barnabas Collins. It had to be – it simply had to. Oh how she wanted to deny it, to push it away but… she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Have I hurt you?" Barnabas asked, immediately looking around her naked body for any wounds.

"No," She replied and gave a sad smile. _At least not psychically_. "It's just… that was great."

His face broke into a smile before he began kissing her again. This time, she poured all she had into the action, hoping he'd take a hint as she practically gave herself to him.

Cold hands parted her legs once more, the only warning before he plunged his entire length deep into her core, filling her to the hilt. And _oh_, was she filled. His member was impressive, and when inside her, gave Julia a feeling of completion that was better than whiskey any day. For a man who was locked inside a box for nearly 300 years, he was immensely talented in bed.

Barnabas began moving, pulling out only to fill her again and again, each thrust breaking Julia's panting with squeaks of pleasure. He soon was simply pounding into her body with all his might and grunting loudly, hitting that spot inside her with each movement. Still very, very on edge from her last orgasm, Julia quickly peaked again… and again… before Barnabas climaxed, howling his release into her ear.

They lay trembling after that, locked in their passionate embrace in complete and utter silence. Everything Julia wanted to say to him was buzzing about her head like a mass of bees. They grew louder with the silence, and she almost went deaf from the intensity.

The vampire pulled out of her, getting off her body and looking around the room for his clothes that Julia had tossed about after ripping them from his body. That man wore _far_ too much clothing.

"Good night, Miss Hoffman." Barnabas said as he left her alone, naked and exposed.

"Sweet dreams, Barnabas." She murmured.

Julia sat up, a hand coming to her head in a poor attempt at fixing her sex hair. Ugh… where had she put that bottle of bourbon?

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I humbly request that you ignore any possible errors I may have made and be kind if you so graciously decide to review. Thanks for reading!


	2. Smoke

"Why do you… do that?" Barnabas broke the silence of Dr. Hoffman's office as they two sat opposite each other, the vampire hooked up to the blood transfusion machine and the doctor smoking a cigarette. It was midday. The sun was far too high in the sky for them to indulge in their little bedroom activities, so Julia had offered to help the strange man instead. Little conversation had taken place.

Actually, since their last sexual encounter, they'd rarely spoken to one another. The good doctor had taken to quarantining herself within her quarters to make sure those hazardous emotions about her bed-mate would vanish into thin air, but with each passing day, they only seemed to grow just that much more. That meant her portions of drink grew as well and so she was knackered out of her mind half the time. And that was no fun at all. No one would go near her. It was the unspoken hypocritical oath of the Collins family – don't interact with Dr. Julia Hoffman was she was drunk off her ass. Come one, she wasn't that terrible when she was wasted! She would just-

Wait – he had asked her something. Julia shook her head a bit to snap back to the present. Barnabas was staring at her intently, his eyes peering into her own.

"What?" She exhaled in a deadpan voice, flipping the page in her magazine and warily eyeing the man across her. Her legs were crossed underneath her floral skirt, her blazer thrown behind the chair. It was rather cold in the office – she didn't know why she took it off in the first place. Maybe it was her low cut shirt that she wanted to show off, but Barnabas was too much of a gentleman to look in the first place.

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

He gestured to her left hand – the cigarette between her delicate fingers. She looked at it for a moment, briefly admiring the gentle swirl of smoke that twirled about the air around her hand before inhaling once more. Ashen air was slightly clouding her view.

Julia shrugged. In all honesty, she had no idea why she smoked. She'd just picked up the habit in high school and it stuck with her.

"I like it," She answered tersely before squinting her eyes at him. "Why?"

Barnabas looked surprised for a moment at her not so terrible question of his motives, but he soon slid that perfectly chiseled mask back into place and looked away from her. Dr. Hoffman could physically feel her heart drop a bit at his cold shoulder. They'd been sleeping together for months and this is still how he acted sometimes?

"Never mind, Miss Hoffman. I was merely wondering. My curiosity has been sated."

The redhead nodded unsurely and went back to her magazine without a second thought. She guessed the only time they could really hold a decent conversation was during sex after all.

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Okay, I've decided to make this into little Barnalia moments that do, in fact, contribute to a plot that I may or may not have come up with yet (;

As always, reviews are welcome. Please be kind.


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